Lt Gen (Rtd) Henry Tumukunde, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, has been dispatched to Fort Portal by President Yoweri Museveni to help harmonise the competing positions within the Tooro Kingdom as the institution grapples with a succession crisis following the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Tumukunde arrived in Fort Portal as preparations intensified for the burial of King Oyo on September 12, with government increasingly concerned that disagreements over the next king could overshadow the final send-off of the 34-year-old monarch.
The minister has been holding consultations with key members of the Tooro establishment, including the Babiito royal clan, the Royal Family and kingdom officials, as government seeks a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
“Starting from tomorrow, we shall be having meetings to solve the issues of the kingdom and I was sent by the President to resolve the matters,” Tumukunde said.
His assignment follows the intervention of Vice-President Jessica Alupo, who visited Karuziika Royal Palace in Fort Portal on Sunday and held discussions with members of the Royal Family and kingdom officials. Alupo also paid tribute to the late king and called for unity as Tooro mourns its monarch.
Tumukunde subsequently met Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito royal clan, at Karuziika Palace. He also paid tribute to the late king, urging the people of Tooro to remain calm as consultations continue. The minister said the succession question would be handled within the framework of the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2011, and the customs of the Tooro people.
“The succession matters will be communicated to you when we have got appropriate guidance from the President of Uganda and the cultural institution of Tooro,” Tumukunde said. He added that the government would follow Section 15 of the law, which provides a framework for resolving disputes concerning traditional leadership.
How the crisis started
The succession dispute erupted shortly after the death of King Oyo in the United States on August 27. When the Tooro Kingdom announced the death, Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki said the late king had left a son who would eventually be presented as his heir. The revelation immediately raised questions within the kingdom because details about the reported child had not previously been publicly known. President Museveni later appeared to confirm the existence of the child.
According to the President, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa had briefed him that King Oyo had left a young son who could succeed him. Museveni’s position added a new dimension to the succession debate because the Babiito royal clan, which traditionally plays a central role in selecting the Omukama, said it had not been informed about the alleged heir. Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi publicly questioned the claim, saying he was unaware that King Oyo had a son.
“The King had no child. I don’t know about it because we have never been told that,” Kamurasi said, according to reports. The disagreement effectively created two competing narratives: one centred on the reported biological son of King Oyo and another involving the traditional process of selecting a successor from the Babiito royal family.
Mwenda announces another successor
The dispute took another dramatic turn when veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda announced that the Royal Succession Committee had already selected a successor. Mwenda said the committee had chosen Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, 36, to succeed King Oyo. According to Mwenda, the 21-member committee met at Fort Motel in Fort Portal on September 4, with 18 members attending. He said 15 members voted in favour of George Kamurasi. The committee had been constituted by the Babiito royal clan on August 28, shortly after King Oyo’s death, and is chaired by Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi.
Mwenda said George Kamurasi was selected after several days of deliberations and that the formal announcement would follow the burial of King Oyo in accordance with Tooro customs. The announcement, however, triggered another storm. Omusuuga Kamurasi distanced himself from the manner in which the alleged decision had been announced, saying he had not authorised Mwenda to publicly declare a new king.
Kamurasi has insisted that the succession process must be handled through the recognised cultural structures of the kingdom. The conflicting statements have left the kingdom facing an unusual situation in which the public has been told about a possible successor while senior members of the royal establishment maintain that the formal process has not yet been completed.
Government steps in
It is against this background that President Museveni dispatched Tumukunde to Fort Portal to engage the rival sides and help prevent the succession dispute from escalating.
Tumukunde’s meetings with the Babiito leadership and Royal Family are expected to focus on reconciling the different positions over the alleged son of King Oyo, the role of the Royal Succession Committee and the timing and procedure for announcing a successor. The government has also urged the royal family, kingdom officials and the public to avoid speculation.
Tumukunde warned that the entire country and the international community were watching how Uganda handles the transition. “Uganda is on the watch of the world. The burial occasion is of national importance and is attracting international attention,” he said. He urged Tooro leaders to demonstrate restraint and dignity during the mourning period. The intervention comes as the kingdom prepares for King Oyo’s burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12.
King Oyo’s remains returned to Uganda on September 4 and were received by President Museveni at Entebbe International Airport before being transported to Fort Portal. The body was later received at Karuziika Palace by Omusuuga Kamurasi and Tooro clan leaders.
Royal family under pressure
The Royal Family is now under pressure to reconcile the competing claims before the burial, particularly the question of whether King Oyo left a biological son. The reported existence of a son has significant implications because succession in Tooro is rooted in royal lineage, clan traditions and customary procedures.
At the same time, the Babiito succession committee has been undertaking its own process of identifying a suitable successor. The government has made it clear that it will not simply impose a successor, but will work with the cultural institution and follow the law.
The Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act provides mechanisms for resolving disagreements through elders, clan leaders and recognised traditional structures before disputes can proceed to other legal avenues.
Tumukunde’s assignment is therefore viewed as an attempt to bring the different sides together before the disagreement causes lasting divisions within the kingdom. For now, the immediate focus remains on giving King Oyo a dignified burial. But once the funeral rites are concluded, the succession question is expected to return to the centre of attention.
Whether the kingdom eventually recognises King Oyo’s reported son, proceeds with the reported selection of George Desmond Kamurasi, or develops another consensus will depend on the consultations between the Royal Family, Babiito elders, kingdom officials and the government. The challenge before Tumukunde and the royal leadership is to ensure that the transition from King Oyo does not become a source of a deeper crisis within one of Uganda’s most prominent traditional institutions.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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